March/April 1995
Scrap Recycling is their business, but participating in politics and community affairs—from different sides of the fence—is the passion of the Seder family of Shetucket Iron & Metal Co. Inc.
By Si Wakesberg
Si Wakesberg is New York Bureau Chief for Scrap Processing and Recycling.
Many scrap industry executives participate in community and civic affairs; some have even reached elected offices. But there are probably few scrap recycling officials quite like the Seders--the name's pronounced like cedar--of Shetucket Iron & Metal Co. Inc. (Norwich, Conn.), whose involvement in local politics over the years has made them something of civic celebrities in Norwich and the nearby Connecticut towns of Ledyard and Bozrah.
"The Seder name is well-known," says Edward J. "Ed" Seder, company president, who has devoted his personal time to Norwich politics for more than 30 years, serving in a variety of capacities, including city councilman, school board member, and director of the Norwich Community Development Corp.
Part of the Big Picture
While Ed emphasizes that his love for politics is focused locally, in his hometown of Norwich, his political activities are far from limited to the local scene. In fact, as a long-time participant in Republican Party circles, he has attended a number of Republican national conventions as a delegate or alternate. He also served as an elector--an electoral college member--in the 1984 presidential election. Being chosen as an elector, he says, was one of the greatest thrills of his life. "That's a rare and distinctive honor," he says of the experience, "one of the greatest you can have as an American."
His work with the party has also offered Ed the opportunity to rub shoulders with some political leaders over the years. There was the time, for instance, when, on one of his trips to Washington, D.C., he met then-President Ford. And Ed's friendship with Prescott Bush--President Bush's brother--gave him entree to the White House during Bush's tenure as the head of the nation.
Across the Aisle, Brothers, Fathers, and Sons
Walter P. Seder, Ed's brother and secretary/treasurer of Shetucket Iron & Metal, is also entrenched in public service, having followed his older brother into the political arena years ago. Walter, however, took the route up the other side of the aisle: as a Democrat.
Despite this partisan difference, Walter's impressions of and dedication to civic affairs has been much like his brother's. On the local front, he served on the Norwich city council from 1991 to 1993 and ran for council president in 1993-losing by only 200 votes out of a total of 7,000.
His national political experience, meanwhile, includes work on the successful recent campaigns of Sen. Christopher Dodd and Rep. Sam Gejdenson, both Democrats fromConnecticut .
Other family members who are also part of the business have made their marks in civic life too. Scott Seder, one of Walter's sons and comptroller of Shetucket Iron & Metal, is active in local politics as a Democrat. And Ed's two sons, Michael and Stephen, both of whom serve as vice presidents of the company, are active Republicans and well-known participants in local politics. Michael serves as president of the Ledyard city council and Stephen is a member of the Bozrah planning and zoning commission.
Politics can be divisive, so it's hard not to wonder about the effects of the Seders' family-party split and whether the Seders cross family or party lines when they go to the polls. Asked about this, Walter shrugs and says, "I guess everyone votes the way he sees it." But, he adds, "we keep politics out of our business."
Political Pluses and Pains
One of the greatest rewards of political service, Ed says, is the ability to cast a vote--to make some political impact. "When you're on the city council or on the Norwich Community Development Corp., you get the opportunity to vote for the projects and bills you believe will be beneficial to the town. That's a real plus." Furthermore, he adds, "people here seem to appreciate that we are trying to do something for our community."
Walter basically concurs with this take on the benefits of civic involvement, stating, “When someone calls and says that he or she has a severe problem, and we can do something to solve that problem, the ‘thank you’ we get is a great satisfaction. You know that you’ve been able to help accomplish something good for a neighbor or a citizen of the community and that’s a reward in itself.”
So what are the disappointments of political life? “Well, you quickly realize the difference between industry and politics,” says Walter. “You find that it tales a long time to get anything done politically and sometimes it makes you impatient. In industry, you have to make decisions fast because markets don’t wait.”
But political participation can have its business benefits if it means familiarity with the levers of power and those who control them, says Ed. He explains, for example, that Walter has become the in-house expert on environmental protection issues, which are, of course, among the major legislative and regulatory concerns of scrap recyclers today. Furthermore, thanks to the Seders' political activities, the family has had personal contact with the governor's office and top officials at the state Department of Environmental Protection, which gives the company unusual access to a forum for its concerns.
On the Business Side ...
Shetucket Iron & Metal, which sits on the eastern shore of the Shetucket River, was established in 1918 by three men: Charles Seder--Ed and Walter's father--Fred Herman, and Moses Goldfaden (who incidentally was the grandfather of Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid camera).
Charles Seder eventually bought out his partners and became the sole owner of the company. And he, in turn, handed the company over to his sons, who gradually learned how to run the business. As Walter says: "I'm 61 years old, and if you ask me, I'll say that I've been in the scrap business almost 61 years. Because I remember sitting next to my father in the company truck when I was a very little child."
Today, Shetucket handles all kinds of ferrous and nonferrous scrap. It is also in the paper business, though not on the scrap side--the firm distributes what Ed calls "coarse" (as opposed to "fine") paper, such as tissue and toweling as well as tape and film. Shetucket Iron & Metal is also a distributor of Exxon and Mobil industrial and commercial lubricants. The company has grown over the years into a substantial, well-equipped operation with about 22 employees. Ed's and Walter's families jointly own the firm, and the third generation Seders now share responsibility for managing the company.
But neither Walter nor Ed have any desire to leave the scrap business, though Walter admits that politics is in his blood (he hopes to be elected back to the Norwich City Council next November). After a lifetime in the business, both he and Ed see Shetucket Iron & Metal as their principal interest--and repository of the good name they've developed through hard work at business and politics. "We've weathered depressions and recessions and come through it in good shape," says Ed, adding, "I'm happy to say that there's never been a blemish on the Seder name throughout our company's long history."
Scrap Recycling is their business, but participating in politics and community affairs—from different sides of the fence—is the passion of the Seder family of Shetucket Iron & Metal Co. Inc.